By Jessica Gable
Sacramento, CA – In a letter to California Air Resource Board (CARB) Chair Liane Randolph Governor Gavin Newsom announced a $54 billion investment into initiatives to fight climate change. His policy announcements, however, fell flat among environmentalists who critiqued the governor’s emphasis on carbon capture technology and endorsement of a 2045 carbon neutrality goalpost.
His announcements highlighted investments in offshore wind power, building electrification, and an explicit desire to see no new gas plants in CARB’s Scoping Plan, but fell short of what over 150 organizations called for in a letter to Newsom and CARB last month. Newsom also touted the need for industrial carbon capture — a move sharply criticized by environmental and climate justice advocates.
In response, Food & Water Watch Acting California Director Mark Schlosberg released this statement:
“Governor Newsom takes one step forward and two steps back with this letter. Investments in clean energy and community resilience are absolutely critical to California’s future, but industrial carbon capture threatens any progress we make. Carbon capture is a favorite solution of the fossil fuel industry because it gives them license to keep business as usual. If Newsom really wants to ‘meet the moment’ of the climate crisis and exert California’s national climate leadership, he must instruct CARB to reject all false solutions like carbon capture and phase out fossil fuels by 2030. California and the nation need real climate leadership from Governor Newsom.”
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